METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MECHANIZED PLANTING INTO SOIL OF PLANTS MULTIPLIED AND GROWN IN IN-VITRO TAPE CELLS, APPARATUS FOR MECHANIZED CHARGING OF SUBSTRATE INTO LOWER PARTS OF TAPE CELLS, AND APPARATUS FOR MECHANIZED FORMING OF COVER ABOVE PLANTS Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: agriculture. SUBSTANCE: method involves planting into soil plants which had been preliminarily adapted for lower air humidity and for intensified breathing and photosynthesis processes characteristic of field conditions; removing cover from lower parts of tape cells by heated roller; filling these parts of cells under pressure with wetted substrate by means of respective apparatus. Apparatus for mechanized charging of substrate into lower parts of tape cells has rollers with retractable blades used for filling containers with substrate. Containers are positioned in wheel and are successively filled with substrate charged from vessel. Substrate is forced from containers into tape cell lower parts. Mechanized planting apparatus has tape drive mechanism, mechanism for cutting separate cells from tape and mechanism for planting cells into soil. The latter has two tape drives with straight planting part having zero motion speed with respect to soil. Cell holders are fixed on one drive. Other drive holds cells on holders. Projections on holders provide leverage drive allowing tape feeding, cell cutting and gripping of cells by holders to be synchronized. Planting is performed upon releasing of cells from holders by turning tape drive belts aside during their rotation on pulleys and simultaneously by compacting soil around cells. Cover above each row of plants is formed by means of apparatus having cover strip drive mechanism, cover strip bending mechanism and mechanism for driving sharp projections arranged along strip edges into soil. Cover strip forms small hothouse above plant row adapted for protecting plants from falling sun rays. Cover strip has openings through which plants are watered. Cover strip is removed in 20-30 days. EFFECT: increased efficiency, reduced production costs and improved adaptability of plants. 12 cl, 18 dwg, 1 tbl